By Robert B. Roque
Call it by any other name, but the Iglesia ni Cristo’s (INC) “peace rally” yesterday was anything but a weaver of political peace.
Let me be clear that this is not a judgment of INC members who are driven by a good spirit to commune and call for political and national peace.
But even the INC leadership cannot deny that the context of its call for peace and unity and its timing unmask the true nature and effect of such a call: block attempts in Congress to impeach Vice President Sara Duterte over hints of corruption, to say the least.
Quirino Grandstand was, in fact, a political theater yesterday that had politicians as the main audience. Peace, while being the overt theme of the rally, did not resonate as much as the implicit message of bloc-voting power and its unmistakable clout as a political weapon.
Senator Sherwin Gatchalian himself articulated the political reality surrounding the event, emphasizing that the INC’s practice of bloc voting could make politicians and government officials “think twice” about supporting impeachment moves against the Vice President.
What are the INC’s numbers today: 2.8 million? Such influence is undeniable during election periods, particularly in closely contested races where its endorsement has historically made a decisive impact.
Check out their rally’s logistics and translate it to the clout their group wields. The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority’s deployment of 1,300 personnel, enforcing a no-day-off policy, illustrates how state resources are marshaled to accommodate a sect’s political flexing.
Outsiders looking in — like a foreigner-friend of mine — question INC’s capacity to command such government support, raising questions about the separation of church and state.
This is not the first time INC has used its flock to somewhat or outrightly shield embattled officials, is it? In 2012, it staged a similar rally during Chief Justice Renato Corona’s impeachment trial. Back then, as now, the narrative of “peace” was invoked but the message came with such political pressure. That sounds more to me like a weapon than a white flag.
As my foreigner-friend pointed out: Filipinos should reflect on the implications of such events and see through the power play of religious leaders who freely leverage the strength of their followers’ numbers.
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